Going Back

On our first day here, Tour Guide Josh told us that a lot of people come to Paris for only a week. They run around to see all the major tourist attractions sort of like checking off a to-do list. We are lucky, he rightly said, to get nearly 5 weeks here (nearly 6 in my particular case). I've found that a benefit of having more time is the opportunity to go back to places. Today I didn't really want to go anywhere in particular; I just wanted to flâner. I started at Repetto near Place de l'Opéra (not as much dancewear on display as I hoped), cruised the streets, and ended up at Place Vendôme, a beautiful square of Hausmann buildings with high-end jewelers occupying the ground floors. In total Breakfast at Tiffany's style I walked around and picked out what I wanted from all the window displays. After an espresso and a croissant (not eaten in front of Tiffany's window; wish I'd thought of it) I went back to the Museum of Decorative Arts to see if they sold copies of the "La Mechanique de Dessous" exhibit poster. No luck, but they did have gorgeous postcards of several of the pieces so I picked out three of those. 

From there I decided to walk through the Tuileries because the last time I was there (Bastille Day) it was closed. I got a great spot under a tree in a green metal chair and stayed for almost an hour. It is a lovely place. I am totally sold on jardins à la française. Talked to Daniel on the phone while I was there and took a couple of pictures before I left. I followed the path down to Place de la Concorde and was wondering where a Métro station was. In a moment of inspiration I followed a small crowd and they led me right to it.

By this time I figured I should get lunch and I wanted to go back to a jewelry store in the Marais so I headed over there to buy a bracelet and a falafel. The saleswoman in the jewelry store wanted to know where I was from, so I asked her to guess.  Her first guess was Germany which I thought was funny. I gave her the hint that I am not European at all and then she figured it out. She was fun to talk to and I was glad I could keep up with her--native speakers, especially young ones, talk FAST.

My nose led me down the street and around the corner to L'As de Falafel, which is the famous Parisian falafel place. I don't even know why it's famous; I just know there's always a giant line. Directly across the street is its competitor, which had less of a line and was moving people faster, so I went there. Falafel is one of the few foods that Parisians will eat while walking down the street. I ate some of mine while walking and took the rest into the public courtyard of one of the hotels particuliers nearby. I absolutely love falafel. My colleague Dr. Carroll says he thinks it's funny that all of us have become such falafel junkies on this trip as if it's something exotic when in fact it is really common street food. I know that's true but I have never seen falafel in Macon. Maybe I just haven't looked in the right places or maybe I need to learn to make it when I get back.

After the falafel I had a gratuitous gelato for dessert in the Place de Vosges, then came back to Cité U. (by way of Monoprix where I bought mascara because mine had run out) to do some work. I'm sad to report that I forgot my camera's SD card when I went to the library and did not have time to go back for it. That means no pictures yet. D'oh! I also did not get my photo odyssey in this morning because it was pouring rain and thundering at 6 am when I wanted to go out for the morning "magic hour." Double d'oh!

Based on the forecast I was expecting all-day rain but it stopped by 9 if not sooner and turned into a good day to wander around and take lots of breaks in parks. Unfortunately I skipped sunscreen (expecting cloud cover) and got a bit red as a result. Won't make that mistake again.

Tomorrow is our day trip to Caen so I'd better call it a night. Leaving Cité at 7 for an 8 am train. Bring on the espresso! À bientôt!